The release date for my Savannah Novel Waving Backwards is July 10, 2015.
I will personalize all pre-orders, available direct from SYP publishing.
Get $3 off the cover price with coupon code READNOW!
Blessings for a great read from your adoptionfind friend,
V.L. Brunskill
You have never experienced an adoption search mystery like this.
Adoptionfind readers, it is with great pleasure that I invite you to the book launch party for my Savannah Novel Waving Backwards.
What does one wear to the grand opening of a fitness center? Sweatpants? A tidy leotard and tights? Perhaps in ordinary circumstances, but this was the opening of an extraordinary venue by an extraordinary man.
It was a literary event. In attendance w
ere a smorgasbord of smart folks, some lean, some (like myself) a tad round due to countless hours spent sitting, suffering and searching for inspired prose. No matter our fitness level or girth, we all held in common a deep adoration of the 69-year-old, southern author at the helm of the proceedings.
On April 3, 2015, I dragged my flabby fiction-writing self to the opening of the Mina & Conroy Fitness center at 832 Paris Avenue in Port Royal, South Carolina. Pat Conroy, author of such masterful literary works as Beach Music, The Great Santini, South of Broad, The Water is Wide, Prince of Tides, and The Lords of Discipline, co-owns the center with Japan native Mina Truong, his former YMCA trainer.
Conroy blogged about the healthful inspiration for opening a fitness center in this blog entry, which is written as if Japanese goddess Benzaiten smiled upon on every flowing, hilarious word. Read it, you will be glad you did.
Nestled amid quaint cottage shops on Port Royal’s picturesque Paris Avenue, the studio is a small, but mighty, exercise venue with walls of sparkling new equipment, designed to make even the most stubborn, desk-dwelling author break a sweat.
Pat Conroy and his wife Cassandra King (author of Moonrise, Queen of Broken Hearts, The Same Sweet Girls, The Sunday Wife, and Making Waves) signed books at the party. While studio space was tight, there was nary a complaint, as rapt friends and fans stood in line clutching cute book signing number cards (which were ditched at #42 when crowd control was deemed unnecessary). Apparently, we literary fitness fans are a polite bunch.
In case you’re wondering, I wore a skirt; had two beloved books signed; garnered priceless writing encouragement; and nearly swooned when Pat kissed me on the cheek.
To learn more about the studio, or sign up for a session check out the Mina & Conroy Facebook page, or give them a give them a call (843) 263-0548.
Blessings for a state of supreme literary fitness,
V.L.
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~SAVE THE DATE~
SYP Publishing cordially invites you to the launch party for
Waving Backwards, a Savannah novel by V.L. Brunskill
Imagine not knowing who you are,
until you find yourself in a statue 800-miles from home.
July 10, 2015 6-9PM ET at the Savannah Marriott Riverfront.
It came to me after spotting one of those cutesy postcards on Facebook that read, ‘we’re all faking it’. A epiphany of influential interactions flooded my head, followed by a vision of the most powerful F word to ever grace humankind. A word that has made kings of slaves and built a thousand empires. 
The word is FAKE.
As an international music journalist, I interviewed top artists of the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. From Aerosmith to Skynyrd, I picked the brains of the best. Later, as a documentation specialist in the tech world, I was surrounded by a bevy of brilliant physicists. From rock stars to ion rockers, I viewed the success of these men and women in perpetual awe. I mingled among them in a state of insecure impostering. After all, I was born, given away, re-placed and forced to figure out where I fit in.
During my very first national music interview with the late, great Joey Ramone, my voice cracked, and I giggled a lot. My hands shook as I settled in to an hour long conversation with the punk icon. Sizzling behind every word was my imposter voice. Who are you kidding? He’ll think you’re a groupie. He didn’t, and the interview was brilliant, fun and launched my career. Before I knew it, record labels were calling on me every time a big act came through Boston. Still, I felt like a flounder flipping about in a dwindling puddle of made-up reality. Evaporation was imminent.
With my physicist colleagues, it was worse. I have a college education, but the terminology tossed about by these men and women was as foreign to me as a ride on the space shuttle. In fact, I went home after the first day on the job and cried. I was a scientific novice, and felt sure they would toss me out. I purchased a periodic table, learned atomic abbreviations and prayed, a lot!
As a kid, the feeling was the same. I was adopted. I knew nothing about my birth family. I pretended that I was like everyone else. But inside I felt made up. Despite the fact that my music and science careers came after I found my birth family. (Read how I found them in this post), I still assigned the source of my fake-dom to being adopted.
What I failed to examine as I trudged through the firestorm of adoptee insecurity were the stories of the rock stars I interviewed, and the scientists I worked with. If I could have tuned out my tenacious imposter’s voice for longer than a nano-second, I would have heard the universal message, “I’m faking it too.”
During an interview with singer Gary Cherone of the band Extreme, he told me about the first time he sang for his mother and grandmother. He was so shy that he sang from inside the kitchen closet with the door closed. In his heart, Gary was insecure about his talent.
A physicist co-worker from overseas once shared with me his story of studying under the streetlight at the center of his town (because there was no other electricity) and despite being at the top of his field, wondered out loud if a man from such a humble beginning deserved success.
These men were not adopted, and yet they were faking or questioning their success. It never occurred to me that someone who always knew their bloodline could feel like a fake. Everyone appeared so solid, and confident. They were big, important people who wore success like a golden cloak of superiority.
Yet underneath, they questioned their family connections (blood or chosen), life choices, and career successes. Dear readers, in no way am I discounting the extra anxiety and loss of being adopted. If you have read my other blog entries, you already know my heartfelt belief that finding your family is essential for growth and peace. My New Year message to you is one of inclusion.
Knowing that everyone feels like a great big fake at sometime in their life goes a long way to settling in to become who you are meant to be. Feeling like a fake is the result of fear. Worrying about being found out for the authentic, learning, seeking and not so perfect human that you are is universal. While I don’t recommend you sling the ‘F’ word around this year in an effort to even your human playing field. I do hope you will start 2015 on better footing by listening for the helpful (and humorous) ways your friends, colleagues, and fellow planet-dwellers admit that they too – are faking it.
Blessing for a year of revelations and improved self-worth,
V.L. Brunskill
COMING TO A BOOKSTORE NEAR YOU
SUMMER 2015
The baby’s roots are with the southern lady who waves forever.
Her heart was Pearced, and so was that of her mother.
Pearced was she by the cotton race that will never end.
Buried in the first city is a man who holds the 9th key.
“Searching is difficult.
Finding is life-altering.”- V.L. Brunskill
View the sigh-worthy Savannah settings for Waving Backwards on Pinterest.
Copyright 2014
In honor of Lent, author Suzanne Gilbert is giving away copies of an Adoption/Genealogy chapbook for Kindle and Kindle app (iPad).
Reunions in Spring: Meditations for a Holiday Table is based on civilization’s oldest adoption memoir. It enjoys a lively retelling every spring through the literary genre of the Hebrew ‘haggadah’. 
Book Description-
In keeping with this age of redefined families and reproductive technology, maybe it’s time to give it a new look. For example, the adoptee Moses only learns the name of his ancestors (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob) at the Burning Bush, the historian Josephus says that Pharoah’s daughter is infertile,and the Jewish oral tradition or Talmud teaches that she joins Moses and his birth family on the exodus.
A “mixed multitude” (the souls of adopted Korean, Guatemalan, Chinese, Indian and other followers of the Ten Commandments?) stood at Mount Sinai.
Bring memoirs, journaling and the celebrations of spring to a richer level through this blend of haggadah, thumbnail memoirs, modern adoption triad psychology and Passover oral traditions.
Get your free copy here until Tuesday evening, March 18th!
Blessings for a great FREE read,
Vickilynn
Ready to find your family?
The Adoptionfind Search Launch Package
offers all the personalized guidance you need for search success.
“Searching is difficult. Finding is life-altering.”- Vickilynn Brunskill
Readers of adoptionfind often ask me to recommend adoption books. While weighted heavily with publications focused on adopters rather than adoptees, there are some excellent books included in this ChicagoNow.com list of Top Adoption Books. 
In my opinion, Primal Wound by Nancy Newton Verrier is by far the best book for adoptees who seek to heal. Whether or not you know it yet, there is a lot of healing to be done.
I also just finished reading, Proof of Heaven by Eben Alexander, and while it is primarily a book about his near death experience, I highly recommend this book for adoptees.
Alexander is an adoptee who for most of his life he did not want to find his birth family. However, as a adult he went through a period of depression that left him feeling less like a successful neurosurgeon and more like an orphan. Upon analyzing his true feelings, Alexander found that he needed to know who his birth family was in order to feel complete.
Happy reading dear readers!
Blessings for a million inspired words,
Vicki-lynn
As many of my loyal adoption find readers know, I started a book drive to restock the two elementary schools demolished by tornadoes in Moore, OK last month. The drive is now in full swing with 250 books in house and another 1700 promised! The book drive (and yours truly) was blessed with a full page in today’s local newspaper.
Please share, ‘like’ the article on Facebook and donate one new or nearly new children’s (K-6) book. Mail to PO BOX 249, Richmond Hill, GA 31324
Bryan County News article on the drive
Writer collects books for tornado victims
If Vicki-lynn Brunskill knew one thing in the pit of her stomach, it was that she couldn’t waste one more day merely thinking about all the ways she could be helping those in need.
When a wave of tornados swept through Oklahoma last month and devastated a community of people just like herself, Brunskill couldn’t wait any longer. Before she could talk herself out of it, the Brooklyn, N.Y., native had thrown together a massive book drive for the desecrated elementary schools in Moore, Okla.
“I love children and I love books,” Brunskill said. “And what is a school without books? When I was in elementary school the library was my salvation — and these kids in Oklahoma need an escape.” Read the full story.
Also check out the interview at the link below. You’ll learn more than you ever wanted to know about your favorite adoption rights advocate.
Writer Vicki-lynn Brunskill, whose work includes the novel, “Waving Backwards,” faces the questions this week.
Thanks for reading and blessings that we may place a book in every child’s hand! Vicki-lynn
For two nights, I tossed and turned trying to think of a way to help Moore, Oklahoma rebuild. For those of you who don’t know- two of the city’s elementary schools were destroyed by a powerful tornado on May 20th, 2013.
Mail one book for Moore, OK
As I do not have the means to help alone, I have started a children’s book drive called ‘Books to Build On- Moore, OK‘ and I need your help!
My plan is to gather books from around the country and get them to Moore once the elementary schools are rebuilt. Please do not send books directly to the city as they do not have a place to store them. Donated books will be stored at my home until the elementary schools are ready for them. At that time, I will use a donated rental truck to transport the books to Oklahoma. Any overflow will either be distributed in the Moore, OK community or brought to other schools in need.
I contacted the Moore Schools Superintendent for ideas on how many books and the types of books the elementary schools will need. I will share these details as they become available.
AdoptionFind community, please help to rebuild Moore, Oklahoma’s elementary school libraries. I anticipate that ‘Books to Build On’ will be a 3-month drive. Help to rebuild the hope, lives and learning opportunities for the tornado ravaged community. Please send a new or gently used book that is appropriate for Kindergarten through sixth grade (K-6) level readers to:
Books to Build On
c/o V.L. Brunskill
PO Box 249
Richmond Hill, Georgia 31324
USA
Please share, tweet and re-blog.
Blessings for making a difference one book at a time,
Vicki-lynn
As many readers of Adoptionfind know, I recently completed a novel titled Waving Backwards, which is not yet published. I am currently shopping the book to agents, and have entered it in a contest to attend the Backspace Writer’s Conference in Manhattan this Spring.
Details are below. Waving Backwards is Entry 40.
You can vote for three books.
Voting in the Backspace “This Manuscript HAS to Become a Book!” Scholarship Contest is now open!
Read the entries on this page, then use the polling feature below to vote your favorites! 3 worthy winners will receive a full scholarship to the 2013 Backspace Writers conference!
You can only vote once, but you may select up to 3 entries.
Entries should be judged on marketability and overall concept and tone. Would YOU want to buy this book if you came upon it while browsing in a bookstore? If so, then cast your vote!
In addition to the popular vote, a panel of select agents and authors from the 2013 Backspace Writers Conference faculty will weigh in behind the scenes with their top choices.
In the final tally, popular vote will count for 50%, and the agent picks 50%.
Good luck to all! Voting closes March 15.
Winners will be announced March 17.
—–
PLEASE VOTE for ‘Waving Backwards’ ENTRY #40 HERE
and feel free to share.
Blessings that we may spread our story to a world audience,
Vicki-lynn
Because Your Blog Won't Write Itself
Childhood trauma & abuse changed me... surviving is changing me too!
Supporting Survivors of Childhood Abuse and Complex PTSD
Former Attorney Stiffing Bindles From New York City, U.S.A. to New York City, U.S.A. Click Those Lines for the Menu ➵
Have a hide like an elephant and a sense of humor.
Seeking Truth
Connecting to Friends, Old and New, Through Recipes, Gardens, and Dinner Parties
Separating authors from the herd and giving them one-on-one time with readers.
Because Your Blog Won't Write Itself
Childhood trauma & abuse changed me... surviving is changing me too!
Supporting Survivors of Childhood Abuse and Complex PTSD
Former Attorney Stiffing Bindles From New York City, U.S.A. to New York City, U.S.A. Click Those Lines for the Menu ➵
Have a hide like an elephant and a sense of humor.
Seeking Truth
Connecting to Friends, Old and New, Through Recipes, Gardens, and Dinner Parties
Separating authors from the herd and giving them one-on-one time with readers.
Two adoptees - one vocal the other not so much...
Live life as though someone will write a book about it, which will one day been reviewed!
Blogger / Speaker / Educator
Our lives are the sum of all the choices we make, the bridges we cross, and the ones we burn.
author, reunited adoptee, former music journalist
every time robocop cries, an angel gets its wings
author, reunited adoptee, former music journalist
The truth as I know it about being a First Mom
tales of intercountry adoption & beyond
V.L. Brunskill 